Poloxamer 407 (Pluronic(®) F127)-based polymeric micelles for amphotericin B: In vitro biological activity, toxicity and in vivo therapeutic efficacy against murine tegumentary leishmaniasis.

In the present study, a Poloxamer 407-based amphotericin B (AmpB)-containing polymeric micelles system (AmpB/M) was employed in the treatment of Leishmania amazonensis-infected BALB/c mice. Initially, the in vitro antileishmanial activity (IC50 value) of AmpB/M and B-AmpB/M (empty micelles) against stationary promastigotes and amastigotes-like forms of the parasites was determined, and results were of 1.83 ± 0.4 and 22.1 ± 0.7 µM, respectively, for the promastigotes, and of 2.27 ± 0.5 and 33.98 ± 2.6 µM, respectively, for the amastigotes-like. The cytotoxic concentration (CC50) values of these products were also evaluated, and we found the results of 119.5 ± 9.6 and 134.7 ± 10.3 µM, respectively. With these values, the selectivity index (SI) was calculated and results were of 65.3 and 5.4, respectively, for the promastigotes, and of 59.3 and 3.96, respectively, for the amastigotes-like of the parasites. Free AmpB showed IC50 values of 1.2 ± 0.3 and 2.5 ± 0.5 µM for the promastigotes and amastigotes-like, respectively, whereas the CC50 value was of 9.5 ± 0.4 µM. The SI values of this drug were of 7.9 and 3.8, respectively, for the promastigote and amastigote-like stages of the parasites. After, animals were infected and received saline or were treated subcutaneously with free AmpB, AmpB/M or B-AmpB/M. In the results, free AmpB-treated and infected mice showed reductions in their body weight, which were associated with hepatic and renal damage; however, no organic alteration was observed in the AmpB/M-treated animals. In addition, these animals showed significant reductions in their lesion average size and in the parasite burden in all evaluated infected tissue and organs, when compared to the other groups; as well as significantly higher levels of antileishmanial IFN-γ, IL-12, GM-CSF and nitrite, which were associated with low production of IL-4, IL-10 and IgG1 isotype antibodies. In conclusion, this AmpB/M system could be considered as an alternative for future studies in the treatment of tegumentary leishmaniasis.

Antileishmanial activity and mechanism of action from a purified fraction of Zingiber officinalis Roscoe against Leishmania amazonensis.

In recent years, considerable attention has been given to identify new antileishmanial products derived from medicinal plants, although, to date, no new effective compound has been recently applied to treat leishmaniasis. In the present study, the antileishmanial activity of a water extract from Zingiber officinalis Roscoe (ginger) was investigated and a purified fraction, named F10, was identified as responsible by this biological activity. The chemical characterization performed for this fraction showed that it is mainly composed by flavonoids and saponins. The water extract and the F10 fraction presented IC50 values of 125.5 and 49.8 µg/mL, respectively. Their selectivity indexes (SI) were calculated and values were seven and 40 times higher, respectively, in relation to the value found for amphotericin B, which was used as a control. Additional studies were performed to evaluate the toxicity of these compounds in human red blood cells, besides of the production of nitrite, as an indicator of nitric oxide (NO), in treated and infected macrophages. The results showed that both F10 fraction and water extract were not toxic to human cells, and they were able to stimulate the nitrite production, with values of 13.6 and 5.4 µM, respectively, suggesting that their biological activity could be due to macrophages activation via NO production. In conclusion, the present study shows that a purified fraction from ginger could be evaluated in future works as a therapeutic alternative, on its own or in association with other drugs, to treat disease caused by L. amazonensis.

A vaccine combining two Leishmania braziliensis proteins offers heterologous protection against Leishmania infantum infection.

In the present study, two Leishmania braziliensis proteins, one hypothetical and the eukaryotic initiation factor 5a (EiF5a), were cloned and used as a polyproteins vaccine for the heterologous protection of BALB/c mice against infantum infection. Animals were immunized with the antigens separately or in association, and in both cases saponin was used as an adjuvant. In the results, spleen cells from mice inoculated with the individual or polyproteins vaccine and lately challenged produced significantly higher levels of protein- and parasite-specific IFN-γ, IL-12, and GM-CSF, when both a capture ELISA and flow cytometry assays were performed. Evaluating the parasite load by a limiting dilution as well as by RT-PCR, these animals presented significant reductions in the parasite number in all evaluated organs, when compared to the control (saline and saponin) groups. The best protection was reached when the polyproteins vaccine was employed. Protection was associated with the IFN-γ production against parasite extracts, which was mediated by both CD4(+) and CD8(+) T cells and correlated with the antileishmanial nitrite production. In this context, this vaccine combining two L. braziliensis proteins was able to induce a heterologous protection against VL, and could be considered in future studies to be tested against other Leishmania species or in other mammalian hosts.